Common symptoms of some of the early stages of hearing loss often include:
- Difficulty hearing conversations, especially in the presence of background noise
- Frequently asking others to repeat what they have said
- Misunderstanding what people say – Difficulty hearing on the telephone
- Requiring the TV or radio volume to be louder than others in the room prefer
- Feeling that people are mumbling when they are talking
- Difficulty hearing certain environmental sounds, such as birds chirping
- Agreeing or nodding your head during conversations when you are not sure what has been said
- Removing yourself from conversations because it is too difficult to hear
- Reading lips so you can try to follow what people are saying
- Straining to hear or keep up with conversations
- Tinnitus
Warning signs of a more severe or progressive loss may be :
- Speaking louder than necessary in a conversation.
- Constantly asking for words to be repeated
- Straining to hear
- Misunderstanding conversations
- Favouring one ear
- Thinking that people are always mumbling
- Turning the television or radio up louder than usual
- Difficulty hearing the telephone
- Withdrawing from social contact
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears (Tinnitus)
- Appearing dull or disinterested
- Being slow to respond
If you find yourself saying “yes” to three or more of the above symptoms then a hearing test may be advisable for you. Hearing loss may be caused by many factors including aging, noise exposure, middle or inner ear infections, and in rarer cases a neurological disorder or tumor. A proper audiological assessment will help to determine if a hearing loss is present, and if so, it’s severity and what treatment options are available. Click here to try our online hearing loss questionnaire.
